Museum of Costume and Fashion in Florence

In Palazzo Pitti, a true journey through the history of fashion

The Museum of Costume and Fashion (previously known as the Costume Gallery) is located in the Palazzina della Meridiana in Palazzo Pitti in Florence and is dedicated to the history of fashion.

Visitors can admire splendid collections of costumes and accessories from the 1700s to today, as well as theatre costumes and the restored funeral clothing of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Elenora di Toledo and their son Garzia. The collection contains over 6,000 pieces, including Renaissance clothing, accessories, costumes coming from the world of cinema and theatre and numerous pieces by the most celebrated designers that have made Italian fashion famous throughout the world, like Giorgio Armani, Emilio Pucci, Versace and Valentino.

Exquisite clothing is on display, like those that belonged to Eleonora Duse, the famous actress, or the Sicilian noblewoman Donna Franca Florio, who was a queen of style in the Art Nouveau period. Also part of the collections is a group of about 90 theatre costumes by the Sartoria Tirelli, donated Umberto Tirelli along with a substantial number of pieces of period clothing.

Throughout the rooms, equipped with air-conditioned cases, the clothing is displayed on a rotating basis – to conserve them and to make them all available to the public bit by bit – while the ballroom hosts temporary exhibitions.

If you are visiting Tuscany you cannot miss Florence. The Renaissance city is a treasure trove of art with an astonishing contemporary vibe. Beyond the extraordinary artistic heritage, a testimony to its centuries of civilization, the best way to enjoy Florence is to stroll along the riverside avenues at sunset, or to get lost among the city’s myriad alleyways of the bohemian Oltrarno or the ...